The present disclosure relates to a locking structure of a terminal fitting in which the terminal fitting is locked in a terminal containing portion by a terminal-side lock projection of the terminal fitting, as well as to a bulb socket having the lock structure.
Among related locking structures of a terminal fitting in which a terminal fitting is held by and contained in a terminal containing portion of a connector, a bulb socket, or the like is one in which a terminal-side lock projection of a terminal fitting is locked on a holding-side lock portion of a terminal containing portion as a result of elastic recovery of the terminal-side lock projection at a lock position of the holding-side lock portion.
For example, JP-A-2013-152898 discloses a bulb socket in which a terminal fitting is held by and contained in a terminal containing portion provided in a socket main body by locking, in the terminal containing portion, a lock piece (terminal-side lock projection) formed by cutting and erecting a portion of the terminal fitting.
However, the locking structure of a terminal fitting disclosed in JP-A-2013-152898 has the following problem. The lock piece (terminal-side lock projection) is locked on a projection (holding-side lock portion) provided in the terminal containing portion. Therefore, as the lock piece is moved toward a lock position, it needs to be deformed to a large extent in the direction opposite to its projection direction to climb over the projection (holding-side lock portion). As a result, its resilience that is necessary for recovery in the projection direction may be decreased, possibly resulting in lowering of the locking force.